Airplane vertical rudder control mechanism



Aug. 18, 1931.

E. M WALDYEN AIRPLANE VERTICAL RUDDER CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Feb. 9, 1931 Patented Aug. 18, 1931 PATENT OFFICE EDWIN M. WALDEN, F TAMPA, FLORIDA AIRPLANE VERTICAL RUDDER CONTROL MEdHANISM I Application filed February 9, 1931. Serial No. 514,372.

' The invention constitutes an improvement in the method of controlling an airplanes vertical rudder and locates the entire controlling apparatus within the air planes fuselage, 'eliminating entirely the conventional external horns, cables and hinges universally used at the present time on all airplanes; and the objects of the new mechanism are, first, to eliminate the use of external brackets on the it rudder, external cables attached to the external brackets and the door type exposed hinges that join the rudder to the fuselage and permit it to swing from side to side in all y present day airplanes; second, to eliminate the usual gap of one half inch or more between the rudder and fuselage; third, to

eliminate the parasitic resistance of the external horns, cables, hinges and gap between rudder and fuselage in present rudder control systems; fourth, to improve the appearance of the tail of an airplane by completely housing the entire control mechanism in the fuselage and also closing the gap between rudder and body by fitting the rudder leading edge into the concave area of the rudder post; fifth, to improve the aerodynamic efiiciency of the rudder through eliminating all interand breaking them or making them inoperable.

fili The form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure I is a detailed perspective view ofthe half tube rudder post, capped top and bottom, the gear slot in the half tube rudder post and 1'1 bracket axels that carry the compound spur gear and sprocket Wheel and washers and the single spur gear and washers, the roller chain carried by the sprocket wheel to the ends of which steel cables that run to the rudder pedal's in the cockpit or cabin are attached, the vertical fin leading edge and the two upper and two lower fuselage longrons.

Figure II is a section through 22 of Figure I.

The Walden internal compound geared airinvention.

plane rudder control mechanism comprises a half tuberudder post marked in the drawing, Figure I as No. 1, capped top and bottom, with full round caps 11, drilled at their centers with quarter inch round holes 20, and

projecting one half their diameter beyond the free edges of the half tube rudder post 1, and are welded 21, to the half tube'rudder post 1, around one half their circumference; a slot 12, cut through and around one half the circumference of the half tube rudder post 1, over the exact center of which a small bracket 3, is Welded 21, at the free ends to the convex surface, on the vertical axis line, of

thehalf tube rudder post 1. This bracket 3, comprises an upper and lower arm, a rear arm thatserves as an axel 19, and a second axel 4, welded 21, to the upper and lower arm of the bracket 3, and set 1 ahead of axel 19. These two gear axels 19 and 4 will be designated as No. 1 and No. 2 axels, No. 1,

'being the rear axel and No. 2, theforward -axel'the one nearest the rudder post. No. '2 axel 4, carries a 1 8 pitch, spur gear 5,

capped to and bottom with i inch by'0.72.

- inch roun washers 10, welded 21, to the low- "er bracket arm and gear axel 4, No.1 axel ference with the smooth flow of air over its 19, carries a compound spur gear 6, and sprocket wheel 7 welded 21, together at the hubs andcapped top and bottom with 4 inch by 072 inch round washers 10, welded 21, to the upper and lower'bracket arms. The sprocket'wheel'Z-of the compound gears 6 and 7, on No. 1 axel-19, carries a six inch section of roller chain 8, tothe endsof -which .steel cables 9, that run direct to the rudder ,v pedals inthe cockpit or'cabin of the-airplane.

In Figure I the number 17 designates the vertical finleading edge and number 18 the two upper and two lower fuselage longrons and these parts are-not parts of the invention but are shown in the drawings, Figure I, to illustrate the location and use of the 'FigurejII, in the drawings of theiinvention is the round tube rudder leading edge 13, of

sufficient vdiameter toifit snugly into the concave area of the half tube rudder post 1, and

capped top and bottom with'the caps 16,

drilled at their centers with one quarter inch round holes 20, and the caps 16, are welded 21, to the round tube rudder leading edge 13 around their circumference. This full roun d tube rudder leading edge 13, contains, welded 21, into it at a point opposite the slot 12, in the half tube rudder post 1, a stub tooth spur gear 2, of the same pitch as the standard 8 pitch spur gear 5, carried on No. 2 bracketaXel 4. This spur gear 5, on No. II axel 4, projects inch through the slot 12, in the half tube rudder post 1, and meshes with the stub tooth spur gear 2, in the rudder leading edge 13. Two pins, Figure III, numbered 15, one quarter inch in diameter, threaded for g inch below the head, screws into the quarter inch holes 20, in the caps 11, topand bottom, in the half tube rudder post 1, and project. 'Z/ inch through the quarter inch round holes 20, in the caps 16, in the round tube rudder leading edge 13, holding securely the round tube rudder leading edge 13, in the cavity of the half tube rudder post 1, and also serving as aXels for the rudder leading edge 13, permitting it to turn freely around its vertical axis.

Depressing with the feet either one of the two rudder pedals in the cockpit or cabin pulls one cable forward and the other one backward and in turn pulls forward and backward the roller chain8, carried by the sprocket wheel 7 which is welded 21, at the hub to spur gear 6, below it, on the same axel 19. The spur gear 6, welded 21, at the hub to the sprocket wheel 7 ,1 forms a compound gear that rotates around aXel 19, and meshes with the spur gear 5 directly aheadcarried on axel 4, of similar pitch and diameter but of greater height, and this spur gear 5, projects through the slot 12, in the half tube rudder post 1, meshing with the stub tooth spur gear 2., of same pitch welded 21, into the round tube rudder leading edge 13, thus; the rotating movement of the sprocket wheel caused by the movement forward and backwards of the roller chain it carries attached to the rudder pedals when one of the rudder pedals is depressed is imparted to the spur gear 6, to which it is welded at the hub end, in turn this spur gear 6, rotates the spur gear 5, with which it meshes which in turn rotates the stub tooth spur gear 2,

in the rudder leading edge 13, with which it meshes, rotating the rudderleading edge 13, around its vertical axis to the extent permitted by the width of the rudder bow 14:, which is welded 21, at the top and bottom of the rud er leading edges 13.

What I claim is:

A device for controlling an airplanes vertical rudder, comprising one half of a full round tube the height of an airplanes fuselage and vertical fin at the leading edge of the rudder containing a circumferential slot cut through it two inches below the lower sur- 7 face of the fuselage at the rudder post, capped top and bottom with full round caps, drilled with holes at their centers and welded around one half their circumference to the upper and lower edges of the half tube and a bracket containing two aXels in the vertical plane welded at its one end above and one end below the slot on the vertical center line of the half tube and a compound spur gear and sprocket wheel carried on the rear bracket axel, the spur gear meshing with a spur gear of same diameter and pitch on the forward bracket aXel which in turn projects through the circumferential slot in the half tube, meshing with a spur gear of same pitch welded into the round tube rudder leading edge, the round tube rudder leading edge being held securely in the cavity of the half tube by pins screwed into the caps of the half tube rudder post and projecting through the holes in the caps in the round tube rudder leading edge and a short section of roller chain carried by the compound sprocket wheel that when attached at its ends to the rudder control cables of an airplane rotates to either right or left, half way round its circumference, the compound sprocket wheel and spur gear which'in turn meshing with the spur gear on the forward aXel rotates it to either right or left and this gear in turn meshing with the spur gear of same pitch in the rudder leading edge rotates it to either right or left, half way round its circumference.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

EDWIN M. WALDEN. 

